Why the PlayStation 5 Pro Announcement Has Everyone Mad
It’s official, the worst kept secret in gaming this year has come true with Sony’s announcement of the PlayStation 5 Pro. In a pre-recorded presentation run live on PlayStation’s YouTube channel, PS5 lead architect Mark Cerny laid out the new futures of the upgraded version of Sony’s current generation console, as well as its astronomical price points across global markets.
The presentation itself is relatively short, running under 10 minutes, but Cerny dedicated the first third to explaining the features that made the original PlayStation 5 (launched in 2020) a powerful console, including its speedy GPU and ray tracing lighting effects. From there, Cerny introduced the major tenets of the newest iteration of the console, referred to as “The Big Three.”
Per the video, the Big Three consist of a larger GPU, advanced ray tracing, and AI-driven upscaling, but only the third appears to be a new feature beyond simply expanding the speed and processing power of the console. The big selling point is increasing both the resolution of games (targeting 4K) and their frame rate (targeting 60 frames per second), without needing to choose between favoring either with Fidelity or Performance mode like most current PS5 games require.
With a price point of $699.99 in North America, the PS5 Pro is nearly $200 more expensive than the existing model.
Reactions online have been overwhelmingly negative, with many fans and industry figures alike taking to X (formerly Twitter) to air their grievances.
Some pointed toward the disappointment of the PS5 Pro merely targeting 60fps, a feature which was highly touted, although not always delivered on with the initial PS5.
Others expressed confusion by the side-by-side comparisons, most of which were nearly indecipherable in quality for some viewers, despite Cerny’s explanations about how detailed distant objects were with the new updated horsepower.
One major sticking point has been the console’s radical price hike, especially following recent increases in the standard PS5 hardware’s cost in Japan and North America. The new PS5 Pro appears to be selling without basic features the base model comes with, like the internal UHD Blu-ray disc player or even the vertical stand that’s packed in each box. Both are now sold separately, further increasing the overall cost beyond the recommended retail price.
In European markets, the console’s price is also disproportionately higher, at a fee of €799.99, leading to the realization that it may actually be cheaper to purchase a North American unit and ship to the EU versus buying one domestically.
Following a tumultuous few weeks for Sony, whose failed multiplayer shooter Concord went offline after only two weeks, on the same day that the exclusive Astro Bot launched to some of the brand’s highest acclaim ever, some users poked fun at the whiplash-like effect the company’s decisions have had on fans.
Sony hasn’t made any announcements regarding the discontinuation of the current PlayStation 5 models, but following the trends of previous mid-generation upgrades like 2013’s PlayStation 4 Pro, the standard issue console will likely remain readily available as a more affordable entry-level option for those unwilling to pay for the top tier edition.
Sony’s PlayStation 5 Pro launches on Nov. 7, 2024.
